Most useful skill for cruiser?

[scgilligan]

What would you consider the most useful skill for a cruiser? Something that you need more than any other..something that you have to pay for if you cannot do it yourself? Diesel Mechanic? Electronics genius? Computer support?
After cruising for a bit what would you wish you could go back in time and learn before heading out?
Just curious as to what would be a marketable skill for a sailor to possibly make some money or barter while in port or at anchorage..

[LakeSuperior]

To answer just the first sentence, I would consider the capability for analytical thinking and decision making as the most useful general skill.

Factoring in the rest of your caveats I would speculate that having the skills of an alchemist where one could transmutate lead into gold as needed would be good for making money or barter while in port.

[thomm225]

patience ........ ( plus the ability to hold your liquor)

[Tingum]

Common sense.

[zeehag]

ability to troubleshoot without panic and inclusive of everything on board. even people.
ability to think outside the box and create/fabricate/modify
as needed to stay afloat and mobile.

[SimonV]

The ability to smile, no matter what.

[atoll]

being a girl with large breasts and a winning smile will get you constant offers of free labor,meals etc

[LakeSuperior]

Originally Posted by atoll

being a girl with large breasts and a winning smile will get you constant offers of free labor,meals etc

For a few bucks anyone, including you atoll, could easily make that transition with a good surgeon.

[atoll]

Originally Posted by LakeSuperior

For a few bucks anyone, including you atoll, could easily make that transition with a good surgeon.

thats another skill that would be usefull.......BRAIN SURGEON.............
most cruisers need their heads examining

[Cotemar]

Originally Posted by scgilligan

What would you consider the most useful skill for a cruiser? Something that you need more than any other..something that you have to pay for if you cannot do it yourself? Diesel Mechanic? Electronics genius? Computer support?
After cruising for a bit what would you wish you could go back in time and learn before heading out?
Just curious as to what would be a marketable skill for a sailor to possibly make some money or barter while in port or at anchorage..

1) A cruiser needs to have at least some mechanical ability and the tools to go with that.
2) Need to know basic electrical skills and the tools needed.
3) Common sense with a bit of improvising when needed

Anyone can cruise without these skills, but at an added cost and inconvenience of having someone else to it for you.

This past year I started to see a few of those new Electric motors on cruisers dinghies.
I asked them how they like the electric motor and the first thing they said was that there gas outboard broke down all the time and this Electric outboard is just simple. I get it, but with a little proper care the gas outboard has worked fine for a lot of cruisers for a long time.

[thomm225]

Some cruisers would rather work on something than anything else so they want crazy skills in that department. Others can usually get by with the knowledge they gained keeping the lawn mower running as a child.

So the most important skill would probably be knowledge of the sea .............as in recognizing a low water, weather, tides, knowledge of vessel, sailing skills..................recognition of a good quality beer.

[denverd0n]

Specific skillsets? Diesel mechanics and electrics. But as others have already said, by far the most important skill is the ability to--as the Marines say--improvise, adapt, and overcome.

[rebel heart]

Being a good sailor helps.

[Pirate999]

All the above plus a sense of humor.

[scgilligan]

Originally Posted by scgilligan

what would be a marketable skill for a sailor to possibly make some money or barter while in port or at anchorage..

This was the main part of my question. I know that I need to be a good sailor and be able to take what is thrown at me by the daily ins and outs..I was mainly asking about a marketable skill to keep the lifestyle going without needing to be independently wealthy before heading out. What do most cruisers do to make a little coin on the way to other ports? Bartender? Sell oil paintings? I know there are tons of ways to make ends meet, just wondered if there was anything that you see more need for? I know sailors have a reputation as being cheap so I cannot see selling crafts, etc as very viable since most would just do without them or make themselves..But, there has to be something that everyone needs and most cannot necessarily do themselves.
My problem is that my current marketable skills are pretty well land based. I have worked in architecture and IT services for about 15 years..no one needs an architect/draftsman on a boat..possibly some computer support, but I cannot see that as being much of a necessity either..not enough to depend on for any kind of steady income/barter.

Where are all of the "well-to-do" cruiser women that just need a male companion? Lol.